25 Basic Thai Phrases You’ll Actually Use in Thailand

Tired of lists that teach you to say ‘how are you’ when no Thai person actually says that to strangers? Let me, your travel blogger friend who happens to be Thai, born and raised in Thailand, help you instead.

For travelers who want real-world Thai phrases they’ll actually use on their trip, none of the robotic textbook awkwardness, I’ve got you with a less typical list of useful phrases for travel. No, we’re not gonna approach strangers and tell them they’re beautiful. That’s freakin’ creepy, mkay?

Here’s what I propose: I will give you those typical greeting phrases before I start counting the 25 on this list. I will also give you the Thai language basics you need to get your pronunciation right.

So, how many are we at? Over 25 Thai phrases in total, plus a pronunciation guide! Are you with me? Let’s do this!

How This Guide is Different From the Other Ones

I’m not another foreign tourist writing up a guide with Thai phrases “I think” are likely correct. I’m Thai, born and raised in Thailand. This entire guide is me babbling about the language I’ve been speaking for 35 years.

Not big on memorizing or retaining another language? I’ve got you! Before we start, check out the techniques I personally use to speak and retain five languages in my guide to learning a new language.

Thai Language Basics You Need to Know

Before we get into the phrases, there are a couple of things you need to understand about the Thai language.

Depending on your style of learning, feel free to thoroughly study them, skim through them quickly, or skip right to the phrases. But just a word of caution, these basics will matter.

How Thai Honorifics Work (Insanely Simple!)

There are speech levels in Thai. The 2 important ones you’ll need to know are the Casual Speech AND how to make it polite, since you’ll very likely be talking to strangers.

To make anything polite, we add ONE simple syllable to the end of the sentence. I will call this the “honorific.” If you’re a woman, you’ll use one word. And if you’re a man, you’ll use a different word for the same thing.

• For a woman: Add KÀ (ค่ะ) to every sentence.
• For a man: Add KRÁB (ครับ) to every sentence.

Under NO circumstances will a woman ever use kráb and vice versa. Later in this post, I will list out every phrase with both gendered honorifics included. Focus only on the one you’ll be using.

Lexical Tones

There are 5 tones in spoken Thai. Unlike English, Spanish, Korean, or most other languages that just flow according to the speaker’s mood, these tones are locked in and word-specific.

Thankfully, I found an English-language video that explains this all out really well! Check it out before starting, I promise it will make everything less confusing!

Below, I’ve listed out the 5 tones and how I’ll mark them in this post so you know the distinctions.

• Neutral Tone: This is the monotonic voice. I’ll write words with this tone with “ā”.
• Low Tone: The sound falls toward the end of the word. I’ll mark these with “à.”
• Falling Tone: The sound goes up, then back down. I’ll mark these with “â.”
• High Tone: The sound goes straight up. I’ll mark these with “á.”
• Rising Tone: The sound drops and then comes back up, like a dip. I’ll mark these with “ă.”

I will tell you now how much these tones matter… “Suăy” (สวย) means beautiful, while “Suāy” (ซวย) means doomed. “Má” (ม้า) means horse, while “Mă” (หมา) means dog. You get the idea… 😂

Basic Greetings and Bonus Phrases

Here are the less useful phrases, but mandatory for going with the flow!

สวัสดีค่ะ (Sāwàtdēe kà) / สวัสดีครับ (Sāwàtdēe kráb)

This means hello! Say it with the local hand gesture, the “Wâi,” and you’ll win a million hearts.

ขอบคุณค่ะ (Khòb khūn kà) / ขอบคุณครับ (Khòb khūn kráb)

This is thank you, nice and simple. Again, it still works better with the same hand gesture as hello.

สบายดีมั้ยคะ (Sābāidēe mái ká?) / สบายดีมั้ยครับ (Sābāidēe mái kráb?)

How are you? “Sābāidēe” means to be doing well, while “mái” (มั้ย) is used to ask “yes or no” questions.

Note: Unlike in the US, it is not common to ask a stranger how they’re doing in Thai culture. You will very likely get away with it as a foreigner, especially if you’re clearly trying to speak Thai. But it’s not usually done.

สบายดีค่ะ (Sābāidēe kà) / สบายดีครับ (Sābāidēe kráb)

I’m doing well!

Fun fact: Sābāidēe means “hello” in Lao!

ไม่สบายค่ะ (Mâi sābāi kà) / ไม่สบายครับ (Mâi sābāi kráb)

I’m sick. “Mâi” (ไม่) means no/not.

The Real Deal: 25 Basic Thai Phrases for Travelers

And here is where we start counting. These phrases will definitely come in handy during your travel!

Essential Phrases You’ll Absolutely Need

1. ขอโทษค่ะ (Kŏhtôde kà) / ขอโทษครับ (Kŏhtôde kráb)

I’m sorry.

2. ขอโทษนะคะ (Kŏhtôde ná ká) / ขอโทษนะครับ (Kŏhtôde ná kráb)

Excuse me.

“Ná” (นะ) adds a nuance that requests some form of acknowledgment or action from the listener, which turns it into a different kind of message. Example: “Sorry (can you please move?)” or “Sorry (can you help me?)“

3. ใช่ค่ะ (Châi kà) / ใช่ครับ (Châi kráb)

Yes, correct!

4. ไม่ใช่ค่ะ (Mâi châi kà) / ไม่ใช่ครับ (Mâi châi kráb)

No, that’s not what I meant. That’s the wrong one.

All of the above will make sense with this phrase, depending on the context.

5. ช่วยด้วย (Chuây duây!)

HELP! This one will quite literally save your life, but I hope you’ll never have to use it!

It’s okay to drop the honorifics for this. No one’s going to care how polite you are when you’re in urgent need of help… If you see someone hurt or in trouble, it’s okay to shout this to get attention for them as well.

Thai Phrases for Generic Communication

6. ไม่เข้าใจค่ะ (Mâi khâojāi kà) / ไม่เข้าใจครับ (Mâi khâojāi kráb)

I don’t understand.

7. พูดช้าๆหน่อยค่ะ (Pôod chá chá nòi kà) / พูดช้าๆหน่อยครับ (Pôod chá chá nòi kráb)

Please speak more slowly.

Pôod = speak, Chá = slow, Nòi = a bit. We repeat the word “slow” twice to turn it into “slowly”.

7.1 ช้าๆหน่อยค่ะ (Chá chá nòi kà) / ช้าๆหน่อยครับ (Chá chá nòi Kráb)

Alternatively, if you get rid of the word “speak” and just say “Slowly, please,” this means “Slow down”. You can blurt out this phrase to your taxi or tuk-tuk driver if you want them to slow down.

8. พูดอีกทีได้มั้ยคะ (Pôod èektēe dâi mái ká?) / พูดอีกทีได้มั้ยครับ (Pôod èektēe dâi mái kráb?)

Could you repeat that, please?

Èektēe = one more time, Dâi mái = could you / can you?

9. พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้มั้ยคะ (Pôod pāsă āng-grìd dâi mái ká?) / พูดภาษาอังกฤษได้มั้ยครับ (Pôôd pāsă āng-grìd dâi mái kráb?)

Can you speak English?

Pāsă = language, āng-grìd = English / England

10. พูดไทยไม่ได้ค่ะ (Pôod Tāi mâidâi kà) / พูดไทยไม่ได้ครับ (Pôod Thai mâidâi kráb)

I can’t speak Thai.

When Thai people talk about the Thai language, we drop the word “language.”

Thai Phrases for Getting Around and Directions

11. ไป…ค่ะ (Bpāi … kà) / ไป…ครับ (Bpāi … kráb)

I’m going to [insert place].

Note that the “bp” consonant makes the heavy “p” sound, like “para” in Spanish or “oppa” in Korean.

You just got into the taxi and you’re going to Wat Phra Kaew, say “Bpāi Wát Phrá Kâew kà!” Adding the endings (kà & kráb) automatically makes it sound like “please” so you’re good to go!

12. ตรงนี้ค่ะ (Dtrōng née kà) / ตรงนี้ครับ (Dtrōng née kráb)

Here, please! When you want the taxi to drop you off, just point and say this.

Née means this, while Dtrōng is a particle that marks a location. The “dt” consonant makes a heavy “t” that lives closer to the tip of your tongue. Think “tú” in Spanish or “Ddeokboggi” in Korean.

13. ตรงนั้นค่ะ (Dtrōng nán kà) / ตรงนั้นครับ (Dtrōng nán kráb)

There, please!

Nán = that

14. นี่ถนนอะไรคะ (Nêe tānŏn ārāi ká?) / นี่ถนนอะไรครับ (Nêe tānŏn ārāi kráb?)

What is this street called?

Nêe = this, Tānŏn = street, Ārāi = what

There’s a subtle difference in how née is used versus nêe when you want to say “this.” But I won’t go into detail here. As long as you stick to these phrases and the tones I give, you’re good.

For Spanish speakers: Nêe = Esto, Née = Este

15. ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหนคะ (Hông náam yòo năi ká?) / ห้องน้ำอยู่ไหนครับ (Hông náam yòo năi kráb?)

Where is the bathroom?

Hông = room, Náam = water, Yòo = to be located, to stay, Năi = where

And yes, we call the bathrooms “water rooms.”

Thai Phrases for Dining and Eating Out

16. เผ็ดน้อยนะคะ (Pèd nói ná ká) / เผ็ดน้อยนะครับ (Pèd nói ná kráb)

Not too spicy, please. Just a little bit spicy, please.

Pèd = spicy, Nói = little

17. ไม่เผ็ดนะคะ (Mâi pèd ná ká) / ไม่เผ็ดนะครับ (Mâi pèd ná kráb)

Not spicy, please

18. เผ็ดเกินไปค่ะ (Pèd gōeun bpāi kà) / เผ็ดเกินไปครับ (Pèd gōeun bpāi kráb)

This is too spicy!

If you really can’t handle what you’re tasting, hand the plate over while saying this, you’ll get the point across and they’ll very likely cook a new one for you.

Notice that I underlined the vowel Oeu? The pronunciation is the same as the French vowel “oeu.” I’ve linked it to a YouTube video, so hopefully, it helps!

Gōeun = Too, Bpāi = Go… But in this context, to put go with “too” will mean something like “wayyyy too much” in Thai.

19. ไม่ใส่…นะคะ (Mâi sài … ná ká) / ไม่ใส่…นะครับ (Mâi sài … ná kráb)

No [insert ingredient], please.

For you guys with dietary restrictions, this is the play in restaurants! Check the list below for your despised ingredient of choice. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, shoot me a DM and I’ll help!

• กุ้ง (Gôong) = Shrimps and prawns (all types)
• ปู (Bpōo) = Crab
• ถั่วลิสง (Tùa-lí-sŏng) = Peanuts
• เม็ดมะม่วง (Méd-má-mûang) = Cashew nuts
• พริก (Prík) = Chilis
• ผักชี (Pàkchēe) = Cilantro / Coriander
• หอม (Hŏm) = Onion
• กระเทียม (Gràtīam) = Garlic

If you want to specify that you’re allergic, say แพ้…ค่ะ (Páe [ingredient] kà / Páe [ingredient] kráb).

20. ขอน้ำอีกค่ะ (Kŏh náam èek kà) / ขอน้ำอีกครับ (Kŏh náam èek kráb)

More water, please. You can swap the word “Náam” for anything else to ask for more of those.

Èek = more

21. อร่อยมากค่ะ (Āròi mâk kà) / อร่อยมากครับ (Āròi mâk kráb)

Very delicious!

22. เช็คบิลค่ะ (Chéck bīn kà) / เช็คบิลครับ (Chéck bīn kráb)

Check, please.

Thai Phrases for Shopping

23. อันนี้เท่าไหร่คะ (Ān née tâorài ká?) / อันนี้เท่าไหร่ครับ (Ān née tâorài kráb?)

How much is this?

Ān = a unit counter for things, Tâorài = how much

24. แพงมากเลยค่ะ (Pāeng mâk lōey kà) / แพงมากเลยครับ (Pāeng mâk lōey kráb)

So expensive!

Pāeng = expensive, Mâk = very

25. ลดให้ได้มั้ยคะ (Lód hâi dâi mái ká?) / ลดให้ได้มั้ยครับ (Lód hâi dâi mái kráb?)

Can you give me a discount?

Lód = to decrease, Hâi = give (under this context, it means to do someone a favor)

Final Thoughts

In my opinion, learning the local phrases without learning the local behavior makes no sense. In this case, remember that Thai people don’t usually ask strangers how they’re doing.

So even though you’ll feel the urge to be nice and ask the street food vendor how she’s doing, save it and flash her a friendly smile. I promise it’s more than enough to make her day.

Just don’t forget to add the sentence endings!

Now that you’ve gotten language out of the way, don’t forget to learn the important dos and don’ts so you can avoid offending anyone. I recommend reading a bit about the Thai culture while you wait to board your flight as well!

Here are some guides to help you started on planning Thailand:

• Things to do in Bangkok
• Things to do in Chiang Mai
• Things to do in Krabi
• Is Kanchanaburi worth your time?
• Introduction to Nan Province

Not what you’re looking for? Browse through my 50+ guides on Thailand and find what works for your planning!

A Note On Thai People, from a Thai Person

The most important cultural difference I can think of is that Thai people laugh A LOT. They will laugh when they think someone’s adorable, a child, for example. They will sometimes laugh even when they feel embarrassed.

Because people in most cultures laugh a lot less, it’s very easy for a foreigner to quickly feel like they’re being laughed at for some unknown reason when in Thailand.

Please do not take any local laughing personally. It’s very likely for some obscure reason you don’t even understand. The Thais avoid conflict at all costs, so the last thing they’d want to do is offend you.

Grab My Thailand E-Checklist

To make sure you don’t leave anything important out of your preparations, I’ve made a digital checklist to help you get ready. I leave 2 pages blank for you to customize your own checklist, too!

Language Nerd, Is That You?

Do languages give you joy the way they do for me? I have more language guides for you to peruse in your free time. This guide on how Koreans address strangers without offending them is a mental labyrinth!

If South Korea is on your bucket list, too, I also have a guide with Korean phrases to help you then!

FAQs on the Thai Language

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